Heartbeat
by Mora Black
Summary: Riku's being haunted by a bloodthirsty stalker, and has no one to turn to. When her life is threatened, who will be able to save her from the darkness? Is Dark the only one who'll believe her?
1. The Empty Theatre

Hello to all my readers! I have recently found myself interested in this new style (modern gothic horror), and this fic found its creation one night while i was avoiding homework (as always). I have a vague idea of the direction this all is headed (and the title is subject to change) but suggestions are welcome. This is a short introductory chapter; the other ones will be longer, I promise. So read and review!

Dedicated to my Ranger twin! (Thanks for reading and betaing, Sabre Black! I owe ya one!)

**Heartbeat**

"Now that the auditions for this year's play are over, I'd like to thank you all for coming. You all did a marvelous job, and the results will be posted on Monday next week. Have a good weekend everyone. Good night!" Professor Kujiko waved from the first row of seats to the students in the auditorium. The squeaking sounds of the school's old seats were heard as everyone headed for the doors. Riku was the last to audition, and was still on the stage in costume. She sighed with relief, glad that it was over and sure that she had done her best.

Just for fun, she ran through the monologue in her head one more time as she got back into her street clothes in the dressing room backstage. '_I'd better call Risa and let her know I'll be home soon,' _she thought. She reached into her pocket for her cell phone, but it was gone. Then she remembered she'd lent it to a friend for a moment before she auditioned, and they had told her they would leave it at her seat so she could pick it up when she was done. With a sigh, Riku headed back out into the auditorium.

By then, the stage lights had been turned off, leaving only a little incandescent bulb sputtering above her head in the wings as she walked between the walls of fabric and onto the polished wood floor. Her footsteps echoed throughout the empty theatre. Pulling out an emergency flashlight from her backpack, she located the stairs down into the seats and looked among the rows for her phone.

Something sighed around her, and it sounded as if the entire theatre had let out a languid exhalation of air. _**What a beautiful heartbeat...** _She spun around, the flashlight beam quivering on the wall as her unsteady hand guided it in circles around her, trying to find the source of the voice, yet for all her frantic searching, the light fell on nothing but the eerie emptiness of the auditorium.

"Who's there?" she inquired of the darkness, standing frozen solid.

The entire room echoed with the sound of soft breathing as the low voice came again, fading in and out as the source seemed to dance around the empty space. _**Such a strong rhythm...It is said that the heartbeat reflects the nature of a person's character. **_

At this point, Riku had completely forgotten about the phone and now directed her attention on trying to remain calm as she searched for the door. Her flashlight landed on one and she ran towards it, tripping on her own feet in her haste, the light in her hand flashing in all different directions, casting eerie shadows as she ran.

_**Oh, but I've frightened you, now!** _The voice chuckled darkly. _**Your heart beats like a rabbit's... **_

She reached the door and threw herself on it, but it was locked. Horror spread like a drug through her veins as she renewed her hunt for an exit. The main entrance was only a few feet away. She directed her flashlight at the floor and ran to it, almost positive that it would be open.

The voice continued to laugh louder and more heartily. As Riku opened the door and stepped into the lighted anteroom, the voice's last words lingered behind her like a sinister breath in the air. _**We shall meet again soon, Riku Harada...** _

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Thanks for reading...now REVIEW! Please? 


	2. The Ones Who Watch Her

Hello again! I did not expect to update so soon, but we had a lovely thunderstorm and I found a .wav of a heartbeat, both of which provided lovely inspiration for this second chapter. Unfortunately, my beta was unavailable, so this is un-edited. An edited version will be posted later, but I wanted to update tonight. I decided while writing this that for the purposes of this fic, Dark and Daisuke are separate, as are Krad and Satoshi. We probably won't hear much from Dai or Sato-chan though (sorry, I know we all think they're cute, but this fic is too serious for them). This fic might not get to a "T-rated" part ever, but I've put it there just in case. I just wish there was a rating for something between K+ and T (don't we all...). I also forgot a warning and a disclaimer in the first chapter.

Warnings: AU, horror, blood (not too much), and slightly cheesy romance (I'll do my best to keep things in character, let me know if I don't)

Disclaimer: Do I look like Yukiru Sugisaki-sama? No. I do not make money from this. I just waste time. Please make my day by reviewing. I will hand out cookies!

Dedicated to my Ranger twin! (Thanks for reading and betaing, Sabre Black! I owe ya one!)

**Heartbeat**

**Chapter Two: The Ones Who Watch Her**

Slamming the metal door shut behind her as she stepped outside, she turned her face up to the rain that had begun to fall earlier that afternoon, trying to wake up and convince herself that what she'd heard wasn't real...that it was only a figment of her frightened imagination.

As she tucked the flashlight away, she reached into her pocket for her cell phone to call Mr. Sabochi to pick her up, but then she remembered that she had forgotten it again. She kicked at a puddle, now thoroughly upset with herself, both for believing in the voice and for leaving the phone behind. Left with no other options, she resigned to her soggy fate, and pulled the hood of her sweater over her golden-brown ponytail, crossed her arms, and began walking home through the rain.

High above her, Dark soared through the rain on his way home from a theft. Luckily this time it was only a small bit of jewelry instead of a large painting or statue, as he was already weighed down enough by the water that accumulated on his clothes and wings. He was tired, and the rain mingled with his sweat. As he looked down, he saw a girl walking along in a dark grey sweater and shorts, drenched in water. When she gazed up at the sky and scowled at the weather, he recognized her face. _'Judging by the gym bag, I'd say that's Riku. I wonder why she's walking home in the rain...I should help her.'_

Glad for a reason to be on the ground, he tilted his wings down and landed a few feet in front of Riku, who had her head down and didn't see him until she ran into him.

"Whoa, easy there."

She looked up, startled, and then saw him. Disgust spread over her face. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Dark put a hand over his heart and put on a hurt expression. "Oh, Riku. Your words wound me..."

She sighed. "Cut it out Dark, what do you want?"

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and it looked like you needed a ride."

Riku smirked and sarcastically asked, "Where's your car? Or do you need me to help you steal one?"

"Well, I don't exactly have a car, but..."

"Then how are you going to help me?" Riku interrupted. A moment later, she sneezed twice.

"Look, you're getting a cold." He handed her his jacket, which she took cautiously. He continued as she put it on. "I may not be able to give you a dry trip home, but I can make the time you're going to spend out in the rain shorter if I can fly you home."

Riku thought for a moment and then nodded her tacit agreement. Without warning, Dark swept her up, gym bag and all, with one hand behind her back and the other under the crook of her knees and leapt off the ground, beating his wings furiously to beat gravity and the extra weight. After two minutes he had gained enough altitude to see most of the town, though the high winds still required him to work his wings.

The sky lit up suddenly with crisp white light, closely followed by a nearly deafening boom. Dark cursed and muttered, "Damn, I'll need to hurry. It's dangerous now."

Realizing his haste, Riku pointed to a cliff near the bay. "My house is there."

"I know," Dark said without thinking.

Riku blushed. "Wh-what! You knew where my house is?"

Mentally kicking himself for his lapse, he covered it up as well as possible. "I mean everyone knows you live there. Yours is one of the richest families in the town, right?"

Somewhat calmed by this, Riku settled back down and pulled Dark's jacket around her more tightly. The number of thunderclaps increased as they flew through the darkened sky, but in a few minutes they had made it to Riku's balcony.

Dark landed clumsily, but was able to save himself from a fall. He put Riku down and bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Seeing him there looking so exhausted, and all for her sake, made Riku think twice about going inside. She spoke softly as she offered her invitation. "Dark, you can come inside if you'd like. I'm pretty sure everyone else is asleep, so you don't have to worry about getting caught."

Dark gave her an incredulous look before straightening and walking through the door she had opened to her bedroom.

She grabbed a towel from her bathroom and handed it to him, which he took gratefully, before leading him downstairs to the kitchen. There, she put the kettle on the stove and pulled out two mugs and packets of instant hot cocoa mix. They were both silent while they waited for the water to boil.

Dark didn't know what to think. Here he was, in Riku's kitchen – and by invitation no less! "Riku, why did you let me in?"

Riku took her time in answering. She shrugged. "I just...I couldn't leave you out in the rain like that," she said softly. Then she turned on him and in a louder voice exclaimed, "I'm not heartless, you know!"

Dark grinned. "I never said you were."

The kettle sang its clear note finally, and Riku busied herself with preparing the hot chocolate. She shoved a mug roughly into Dark's hands and, feeling upset with herself for shouting in front of Dark, she forgot entirely about the temperature of boiling water and took a large sip of her drink, scalding the roof of her mouth as well as her tongue and throat. She coughed after she had swallowed, and ran to the sink for a sip of cold water.

Dark laughed. "You're cute when you're mad."

She wheeled on him. "I'm _not_ mad!"

Dark had to put his mug down to avoid spilling it as he chuckled between words. "Yes...you are!"

"I'm not! I'm just upset that I can't really understand why I let you in if you're such a pervert."

Dark's laughs subsided and his face gained a more serious look to it. "Because you have a big heart, Riku. That's why you let me in."

The kitchen was silent as the two finished their drinks. Dark licked his lips when he finished and set the mug down on the counter with a definitive _clink_. "Well, I'd better be going now."

Riku nodded and took the jacket off and handed it to him. He took it and put it on in one swift movement before winking at her. "Thanks for the cocoa, Riku." She led him to the front door and said goodbye once more before he walked down the front steps and leapt into the air. She sighed tiredly and closed the door, still pondering over Dark's words to her as she trudged up the stairs to her room.

When she stepped into her bedroom, she thought she saw a shadow flit across the floor as lightning flashed outside, and noticed that one of the doors to her balcony was swinging in the wind of the storm. She hurried to close it and caught a glimpse of a dark shape jumping from the ledge of her balcony. She shivered and hoped it was just Dark coming to check on her, though she didn't know why he would.

As she turned around and faced her bed, she noticed wet footprints on the floor and followed them slowly with her eyes as they led to her nightstand, where on top of a piece of paper was her cell phone.

She cautiously stepped toward it, and realized that the paper was a note. Written in elegant cursive were the words, "_You forgot this._"

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A Lost Trumpeto: Thanks for being the first reviewer! You are very kind! 

liltenshiarishi: I love all your stories, and I'm so touched that you read mine too. As for the pairing, I love DarkxRiku stuff, so that's what this will most likely be. I'm trying my best to keep it in character (as I said) because I feel that the best fics with this pairing are the ones that keep them both true to themselves but still have chemistry going. I have big plans for this, I just hope I don't drop it! I found another chapter fic I was going to write, but I only wrote the first chapter and I've lost interest in continuing it. But I love the first chapter so much that I'm going to post it as a oneshot after I'm done with this. I still need to polish it a bit, so hang tight and it'll be up soon. Thanks for reading!

Please make my day and review. I will hand out cookies to reviewers!


	3. Haunted

Hello dear readers! This is about the normal update rate. I updated sooner last time because of "divine" inspiration. It will probably be around two weeks between each chapter (or more) mostly because it is "crunch time" at school right now for me, and I have lots of things going on. I'm playing this all by ear. As for content, I'm still smoothing out some plot things, but I've decided to make this an even bigger exploration. Not only am I developing my attempt at modern gothic horror style, I am writing my very first love triangle! Audience gasps Please be gentle with your reviews. Anyway, chapter trivia is at the end so I won't spoil anything, but I will tell you that some of this is actually based on real life. Twilight Zone theme plays So read, review, and enjoy!

Warnings: AU, horror, blood (not too much), and slightly cheesy romance (I'll do my best to keep things in character, let me know if I don't)

Disclaimer: Do I look like Yukiru Sugisaki-sama? No. I do not make money from this. I just waste time. Please make my day by reviewing. I will hand out cookies!

Dedicated to my Ranger twin! (Thanks for reading and betaing, Sabre Black! I owe ya one!)

**Heartbeat**

**Chapter Three: Haunted**

Riku had significant difficulty getting to sleep that night, knowing that the owner of the voice knew where she lived. She was sure it was him that had returned her phone, which she clutched in her white-knuckled hands all night long, waiting for something to convince her that it all wasn't real. She finally got to sleep at around 2 o'clock, but was wakened a half-hour later by a metallic-sounding clip of music.

Groggily opening her eyes, she stared at the small black device in her hand, trying to figure out why it was producing strange noises and vibrating. With a shock, as if the phone was burning her hand, she dropped it, letting it fall onto her tumbled sheets. Getting a hold of herself, she slowly picked it back up, flipped it open, and put it to her ear, wondering who would call her at this time of the night, after she had finally gotten some sleep.

The connection crackled, as if the caller was in a place with bad reception, but she could clearly hear the voice on the other end. "I assume this means you found your phone where I left it, then."

Riku's blood froze in her veins. Her body went rigid as chills rippled across her skin.

The voice chuckled to itself. "Don't be so quick to thank me. You'll be able to do it in person soon enough..." he breathed raggedly before disconnecting, leaving Riku still in a state of shock with the phone to her ear, listening dumbly to the dial tone it emitted.

'_Oh my God,' _she thought, _'He knows my number too!'_

She sat there, letting the initial realization sink in for a half hour or so. After that, she sighed deeply, shut the phone and replaced it on the desk. Still dazed, she curled under the blankets and willed the morning to come faster so she could wake from what she was sure was a nightmare.

Eventually she did fall asleep, but did not feel rested when she awoke. Her shallow sleep was full of dreams of fear and danger, yet the sunbeams dancing on her twisted sheets were enough to give her the courage to climb out of bed and take a shower.

The water washed her body, but did not clear away her thoughts of what had happened last night. There was evidence enough sitting around to remind her. The note from whomever it was that had been with her in the empty theatre was still on her nightstand, and there were two mugs sitting on the kitchen counter with cocoa residue in the bottom.

Risa was chatting away on her pink phone with Ritsuko as Riku came into the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal for herself. She ate it slowly, listening to Risa's half of the conversation as the two of them gushed about Phantom Thief Dark. Riku couldn't suppress a smirk as she wondered what Risa's reaction would be if she knew that Dark had been in their house only a few hours earlier, with Riku instead of her.

Risa must have noticed the grin, because she said rather loudly, "Riku's got a huge smile on her face. I wonder if she's secretly in love with our handsome thief as well..."

Riku snapped out of her daydreams and threw her spoon back in the bowl, sending bits of cereal flying. She stood up quickly and her chair was sent a few feet backwards. "How could I ever love that _criminal_! He's nothing but a low-down, dirty..." she scrambled for a word that would fit him, and upon finding none, substituted the best one she could think of: "PERVERT!" And with that, she stormed back upstairs.

She dressed quickly, jerking a pair of shorts on and throwing on a clean t-shirt before slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She ran down the stairs two at a time and slammed the front door, shouting to Risa on the way out, "I'll be at the park!" She grabbed her bike from the shed and pedaled down the driveway, headed for the community park.

'_I'm not in love with him_,' she thought as she rode. '_He'd just been nice enough to help me get home faster and I was nice enough to get him something because he was cold and tired. That's all.'_ She had soon enough convinced herself that Dark was lucky he was even allowed the privilege of bringing her home, and letting him inside and giving him a drink was over and above the call of duty. '_But he was rather nice about it. I mean, he said I had a big heart...' _Riku put a hand to her heart thudding in her chest from the exercise, and then shook her head and nearly ran into a light post. Once she was back on course, she sighed. '_And why did it all feel so right?_' she wondered. "No, no, no! He's just a shameless flirt and nothing more. Geez, get a grip, Riku!" she said aloud, earning strange looks as she pedaled along.

In a few more minutes she had reached Azumano's biggest city park which included both a sizeable strip of beach along the bay and a large grassy field where people were already spending their Saturday with frisbees, pets, and informal sports games. She found a tree off to the side and sat with her back against the trunk in the shade and pulled out her iPod and calculus book to finish some homework. She was halfway into a tricky problem when her phone rang in her pocket.

Sighing, she pulled out one earbud and flipped it open, automatically putting it to her ear. "Hello?"

She heard nothing on the other end for several moments, and repeated her greeting with a slightly annoyed tone. "_Hello_?" Still nothing. But then she heard a deep inhalation followed by an exhalation, and this repeated for another few seconds. "Is someone _there_? I'll hang up!" After a few more seconds of listening to the breathing, she did hang up. And she had to start the calculus problem all over again for her troubles.

The mysterious person called again twice with the same result. Riku considered turning her phone off (she was doing homework after all) but then remembered that her parents were out of town and would freak out if they tried to contact her and couldn't. Defeated, and finally finished with calculus, she pulled out a book, enjoying the sunshine too much to think about going home. She had only read a few pages of Jane Eyre for English Literature when her phone buzzed again. She shut the book with a snap and let it ring a few more times before deciding what to yell at the caller.

She answered it at last, took in a deep breath, and released her fury. "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT, YOU STALKER?!" The people who had been playing soccer near her froze and moved several feet away. On the other end of the line there was silence for a few moments. The other person wasn't even breathing like before.

"Riku?" asked a soft, timid voice. "It's Daisuke. Um...I wanted to ask you if you'd be able to study with me for History tomorrow, but..."

Realizing her mistake, Riku back-pedaled. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Daisuke! I thought you were that stalker."

"Stalker?"

Riku sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, there's this person that's been calling my phone all day and just breathing into it. He hasn't said anything."

"Oh, that's weird. Anyway, we have that test in History on Tuesday, and I wanted someone to study with. I don't trust myself to pay enough attention alone."

Riku chuckled. "Okay. What time?"

"Does lunchtime sound okay? Mom caught wind of it and wants to serve a 3-course lunch. I'd hate to disappoint her."

"Sure!" Riku laughed again. "I love your mom's cooking. I'll see you then! Thanks, Daisuke, and I'm sorry about yelling at you."

"I understand. See ya!"

Riku put her phone back in her pocket and went back to her book. When the sun began to descend, she packed up and headed home.

In the kitchen was a note from Risa saying she'd be sleeping over at a friend's house, so Riku had the house to herself. She threw some leftovers into the microwave and turned on the television to watch the 6 o'clock news. Her phone rang during a commercial break, and, to avoid what happened at the park with Daisuke, she looked at the caller ID. It was from "Unknown Caller," so she let it ring. The caller kept calling, and the sound was bugging her. Even though she'd set it to vibrate, she could still hear the buzzing noise the phone emitted.

Giving in to annoyance, she answered, but didn't say anything. The speaker on the other end of the line just sat there breathing like the times they had before. Exasperated, Riku asked, "Why do you keep calling me?"

This time a deep voice spoke softly, "Your heartbeat is addicting. I just love listening to it."

Shuddering, Riku yelled into the phone, "STOP CALLING ME!" and threw it on the carpet, where it bounced two feet and then lay still. He did not call again that night.

* * *

**Trivia:  
**- My friend has been getting prank calls like this for the past two months, and when I thought to myself "what sort of things a stalker would do that would wig me out?" this idea popped up. See? Based on a true story.  
- My mom really does flip out if she can't reach me. I was "unaccounted for" for 5 hours once, and she was ready to call the cops. She only called my phone once during that and I didn't answer. The phone was fully charged. Go figure.  
- I was chatting with my beta about this before I posted and we both thought that Daisuke was extremely cute when he called Riku. And yes, he is part of the love triangle. 

**Reviewers:** (throws cookies into the crowd) Thanks for all the lobve!  
lovestoread: I'm glad you're interested! Keep reading, it gets better! -evil grin-  
Lieberisse: I'm soooo happy you want to read more. That's like one of the best compliments ever. Especially from you...your stuff is good. nods I love Cleaning Duty.  
Eternal Crystal Rose: I loved your review! It made me very happy, yes it did: It's good to know I'm keeping everything as canon as possible. Thanks for the support! Long live DarkxRiku!  
star-chan: What a cute name! Anyway...Riku's stalker is -covers mouth- mfmfmfmfmf! -grins- Keep reading, and you'll find out! And Dark does save Riku, of course! Well, he's already done it once by bringing her home...he saves her from a cold, but he'll do it again!  
Nikko Corvin: Long live the Leader! I love it when I can read stuff and hear the anime voices. Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
ginsensu: Glad you think it's interesting! The mysterious person? He's a mystery! You'll have to read to find out! -evil laugh- I've updated now. I hope it was soon enough.  
Lightning Streak: You were hooked? Cool! It's always great when I get reviews that aren't one-liners. I'm running out of ways to say "I'm glad," but I'm glad you think it's amazing, but don't die! Then you can't read more! -hands extra cookies for sustenance-

Please review! It makes me happy!


	4. Inferno

Hello! Sorry for the extremely long delay. I'm not dead. Believe it or not, this whole chapter was delayed because I needed to add Daisuke/Riku fluff, and I was having trouble with it, because I'm an incurable Dark/Riku fan. But anyway, here it is! Exams are pretty much over for me, so I was finally able to sit down and plug away at it. I hope all your exams will go alright, and that you won't feel too guilty for reading this if you were supposed to be studying. Just remind yourself that it's healthy to take breaks so you don't overload yourselves. Well, God forbid me to keep you from reading when you've already waited so long. To the best of my knowledge, there will not be a gap this big between chapters in the future.

Warnings: AU, blood (not till later, and not too much), and slightly cheesy romance (I'll do my best to keep things in character, please let me know if I don't)

Disclaimer: I earn no money by doing this. DNAngel does not belong to me. Please don't sue, because I am poor and you will be wasting your time.

**Heartbeat**

**Chapter Four: Inferno**

Sunday, Riku left the house just before lunch to spend the day with Daisuke like they had planned. They had a filling lunch courtesy of Daisuke's mom, and then vigorously studied for their History exam until late afternoon.

At about five o'clock, her phone rang. Thinking it was Risa wondering when she'd be home, she answered it. "Yeah, this is Riku."

"Good evening."

Riku shuddered. Daisuke looked up at her from his textbook with a questioning glance. Riku ignored it. "What do you want now?" she asked tersely.

"I love nothing more than hearing your lovely voice, Riku. But that is not why I called. I bring you a warning." He chuckled to himself, enjoying the joke that Riku couldn't get. "You won't understand this until later, but don't play with fire."

"What?"

"You heard me. Now have fun studying." He ended the call, again leaving Riku in a state of confusion. She glanced out the window quickly, but all she saw were moving shadows from the tree near the house.

"Riku? Are you alright? Who was that?" Daisuke's eyes were full of worry and curiosity.

Riku shook her head. "I'm fine. It was just Risa. She wanted to tell me about some dumb TV show and wants to know when I'm going home."

Daisuke glanced at his watch. "Wow! I can't believe it's this late already. Mom said she had some errands for me to run, so..."

"I get it. I'm on my way." Riku grabbed her notes which had been scattered across the room, stacked them, and shoved them roughly into her backpack along with her book. She slung the bag over her back and Daisuke led her to the door.

Once she was home, she pulled everything out again and continued to study while Risa had the big-screen TV on downstairs, blasting the 6 o'clock news which included a live presentation of Dark's newest theft and predictable escape. Rather than hollering down the stairs to Risa to turn it down, Riku gave in to her twin's unchangeable nature and shut the door and put on some music to block it out.

When ten o'clock rolled around, Riku turned off her lamp, showered, read a book for a half hour, and went to bed without a second thought.

The next morning was Monday, and a rather unlucky one at that. Riku woke up late, cursed colorfully at her clock, dressed quickly, put a brush through her hair, and rushed out on her bicycle off to school, pedaling as fast as her legs would go.

She made it on time to school and slid into her first class only seconds before the bell rang, earning a raised eyebrow and a "don't do it again" look from her professor as he turned to the board and immediately began to scribble the day's assignment on the board. She slumped in her chair, half hoping it would swallow her and bring her to a place where she wouldn't have to pay attention to the information that was being shoved into her brain through her eye sockets.

Daisuke, sitting behind her, poked her shoulder with the butt of his pencil and handed her a folded slip of paper. She took it carefully so the Chemistry junkie at the front of the room wouldn't see and read, "Culinary Club today after school at 4:30. Wanna come? We're making strawberry shortcake...it's some sort of American dessert."

Riku turned her head so she could see him out of the corner of her eye, smiled, and nodded.

"Elder Harada-san, would you mind facing the front so that you have a more complete view of the notes you should be taking? Or does that view make it easier for you to balance this equation? Would you demonstrate the method used to solve it please?" He held out the stick of chalk to her and motioned for her to come up to the board. She got up slowly and, after adequately demonstrating that she had not been paying attention, was sent back to her seat to sulk.

The rest of her day followed in much the same way, slogging through one dull class after the other. At least until Theatre. The cast list was posted on the window to Professor Kujiko's door, and as soon as she walked into the deskless classroom backstage she was greeted with choruses of "Congratulations!" and "Good job! You'll do great!" She was soon informed that she had been chosen for the lead role opposite Daisuke, who played the clueless hero.

They immediately began to break ground and get to work on the play. Takeshi was in charge of the sets (even though he "delegated" most of the work to his "assistants") and Risa was given the job of costuming, though she was given strict instructions not to use pink for any of the boys' outfits, much to her disappointment. She'd told Riku in confidence that she'd dreamed of nothing less than putting Daisuke in a pink dress covered with frills and bows. Riku was disgusted by the idea.

The class was over too soon, and Daisuke took her with him to the culinary building after the last bell rang. Chef Yamui let the club divide into four groups of two and gave each team a photocopy of the recipe after a brief explanation of what strawberry shortcake was and the cultural significance.

Daisuke handed Riku the cleanest of the aprons and showed her the hand wash station before helping her find a cutting board, a paring knife, and the fresh strawberries. She washed them first while on the other side of the counter, Daisuke pulled out the ingredients he'd need to make the shortcake. No sooner had she sliced her first strawberry then Daisuke's backpack began to move on its own until Wiz's little pink nose poked out, followed by the rest of him.

Aghast, Daisuke stopped what he was doing and rushed to block the bag from view while explaining to Wiz that he couldn't be in the kitchen. To help pacify the hungry ball of fur, Riku brought over a small handful of strawberries in exchange for Wiz's cooperation, which the rabbit creature took with a tacit nod of understanding and a soft "Kyuu!" of appreciation before climbing back into the bag.

After they had both gone to their work station, Riku watched Daisuke carefully measure everything, mix it gently with a wooden spoon, and then knead the dough for a few minutes. He separated the dough into two balls and put them on a cookie sheet in the oven with a timer and then came to help Riku put sugar in the cut strawberries. When there was enough sugar in the bowl, they stuck it in the fridge to chill until the shortcake was done. To pass the time, they both sat down and worked on homework.

Soon enough the oven beeped, and Daisuke got up to pull the warm biscuits out. Being careful not to burn himself (which he did anyway) he set the cookie sheet on the counter to cool while Riku pulled out the strawberries and whipped cream. Once the cakes were cool enough to handle, Daisuke sliced them carefully and put them in bowls. Then he watched Riku pour the strawberries and whipped cream on top.

"Do you want to go eat outside with everyone else?" Daisuke asked, pointing out the window to the patio where everyone was sitting down in the glow of the sunset and eating their creations. Riku nodded, and they found a seat together to enjoy their dessert.

"Mmm..." Daisuke said after the first bite. "Riku, this is delicious. The strawberries are great!"

"Chopping strawberries doesn't take a lot of skill. The cake though, is wonderful. It's so light and fluffy," Riku said between bites.

"But they turned the sugar into syrup in such a short amount of time. And they're all so evenly sliced that the texture is perfect."

"Oh no! I forgot to add the butter!"

"It's fine. The butter would only weigh it down. It's lighter like this. I like it." She smiled, and then gestured at her nose. "You've got some whipped cream there..." But Daisuke couldn't seem to find it, so she wiped it for him with a nearby napkin.

Daisuke looked up from his dessert to watch Riku carefully spoon the strawberry shortcake into her mouth. The setting sun cast brilliant rays on her hair and made it sparkle like spun gold.

Riku put the spoon down in the bowl and set it down beside her, clasping her hands around her knees. "Thanks for inviting me to this. It's been really fun!"

Daisuke blushed a little as he mumbled, "I really like being with you. You're a great friend..."

"A friend?" Riku mused.

Daisuke sniffed the air for a moment. "Can you smell something burning?"

Riku took a deep breath of the evening air. "Yeah. It's close too. Wait a minute...you _did_ turn off the oven when you were done, right?"

Daisuke nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Someone shouted, "There's smoke coming from the window! Look! Someone call the police!"

Riku and Daisuke got to their feet instantly. "You sure about that?" Riku asked, as Daisuke shouted for his pet. "Wiz! He's still in my backpack inside!"

They dropped their plates and sprinted back into the kitchen, which was already up in flames. Riku stopped at the door in shock, suddenly remembering the phone call she had from the other day. "Don't play with fire," she whispered. "Oh my God, _he_ did it!"

"Riku! I can't find Wiz anywhere!" Daisuke shouted back at her, holding up his empty backpack and running toward her. "He's gone!"

* * *

**To my lovely reviewers:** A load of hugs, cookies, and cuddly things. Thanks for reading and taking the time to give me your valuable feedback. I love you guys! 

Eternal Crystal Rose - I'm glad my plan is working then! You're intrigued! Mwahaha! I will give you this hint: the "stalker" is someone we have not met in the story thus far. The only contact Riku has had with him is through the telephone, and in the theatre. She has not seen him yet in the story. I had the scene mapped out in my head when Daisuke called Riku and got yelled at from the beginning. I can just picture it in my head. So cute! Poor Dai-chan! Anyway, the Riku/Dark stuff comes later, but I'm not saying what happens just yet.  
star-chan - Sorry, I love writing creepy stalkers. I know some from school, so it's almost as if I know what's going on in their heads. The prank caller is not calling my friend anymore, but we never did find out who he was. Keep reading! All will be revealed in time!  
black27cresent - Yes...stalkers are scary. But that's what makes them fun to write. The whole "addicting" thing fell out of my fingers though, and it works perfectly. It gave me chills the first time I read it to myself. I would flip out if someone did that to me. Keep reading!  
imuzuok - What an interesting pen name...I like it. Whaa! I'm loved! Yay! Keep loving it, it gets better...  
Lieberisse - Hey, you deserve to be complimented like that, blush or no blush. I love the stalker too. Even if he's not a very loveable character, I love to write him. If you can understand that. I'm glad my stalker has reached the creepy category...It means he (and I) are doing our job. Mwahaha! I tried to update, but that stupid fluff scene had to be smoothed out...  
morgan - Short and to the point, eh? Okay! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you keep reading!  
Froven - Another cool pen name! I love the plot too. But I can't remember for the life of me where I came up with it. It's just been writing itself, mostly...like vomiting words, except less painful and less gross...I hope...Anyway, I haven't seen When A Stranger Calls. I'll have to rent it now. Is it good? I will "keep writing" because I love it soooo much when people tell me to keep doing anything. It means I'm doing something right. Yay! Thanks for the review! I loved it!  
WhiteTiger1992 - I'm glad you finally decided to drop in! My summary sucks, but I always hate it when people say "oh, my summary sucks, but read it anyway!" No offense to those of you who do it, but it's just annoying to read. Anyway, I'll shorten my rant and save it for another day, but I updated. I get a pony? Yaaaaaay! I have nowhere to put it. Heehee...

Thanks to all of you who reviewed! You all make me feel warm and cuddly inside! I love you all!

Please review!


	5. Confused

Horray! Today was my last day of school! I was able to exempt most of my exams, and my last two were today. To top it off, I was finally able to post this. I had to use a combination of 3 computers to finish it, because mine is misbehaving, and my dad's is not friendly. So, here it is after much tribulation and more than a few headaches. Well, not really. Anyway, this chapter is a little longer than the others because I had to add stuff to a few of the scenes. Next chapter is when you find out who the stalker is. And there will be a bit of blood. See, the story took an unexpectedly (even to me) violent turn. It won't be something that will require me to raise the rating, so no worries. And I didn't kill Wiz, as promised. Happy reading!

Warnings: AU, slight cheesiness, and creepyness. I suggest you don't read in the dark. Go grab a stuffed animal too.

Disclaimer: I do not own DNAngel. I borrow characters, bruise them up a little, and call it a story. Don't sue.

**Chapter Five: Confused**

Riku's blood froze, despite the sweatiness of her palms and the oppressive heat from the fires licking the desks around her. Her mouth was dry. She didn't hear Daisuke screaming at her. All she could do was stand, paralyzed by the knowledge that her stalker had set fire to the building with the intent of killing her. And somehow he knew she'd be there...

"Riku! Listen to me!" Daisuke grabbed her by the shoulders and snapped her out of the daze. She stared into his face, glassy-eyed. "Wiz is gone!"

Her eyes widened in recognition. "What!? Where could he have gone?"

Tears leaked from the corners of Daisuke's eyes. "I don't know!" he wailed.

Suddenly, they heard a distressed cry and muffled banging coming from the window, and a moment later saw Wiz jumping up and down and scratching at the window, showing them a way out.

"Wiz!" cried Daisuke, as he ran to the window and opened it, climbing through nimbly with Wiz following. Riku tried to follow, but part of the suspended ceiling fell at her feet, sending burning debris flying, and blocked the way to the tall window.

The only other two windows were covered up by refrigerators and roll-away cabinets, contrary to fire code. The fire around her flared dangerously, crackling and cackling. The smoke was stinging her eyes and it was getting harder to breathe. Riku coughed and tried to fill her lungs, but the oxygen in the room was quickly being consumed by the roaring flames. As her vision darkened, she could have sworn she heard the voice from all those phone calls laughing at her.

With her last breath, she caught a glimpse of a head of red hair, but it was hard to see in the dimming glow of the inferno around her. She heard her name being called, but didn't have the strength to answer. All she wanted was to slip into the cold darkness that was reaching up to take her.

"Riku!" Daisuke shouted as he caught her in mid-fall. She didn't answer. Daisuke had managed to slip back through the window and push the heavy beam away in a spot that was not yet covered in flames. He lifted her easily and carried her outside where he could hear the sirens wailing louder and louder as help came.

Riku woke up amid the bustle of firefighters running to put out the burning kitchen and found herself looking up into the worried face of her friend. She coughed roughly, blinked a few times and then sat up suddenly. Daisuke backed up, startled. "Woah, be careful!"

Wiz hopped up in her lap, his fur singed brown and black in several places. One of his eyes was swollen shut and the tip of his nose had a bandage over it. He licked an especially burnt paw and mewed softly, nuzzling her arm. "Kyuu..."

Riku pet the rabbit and then looked around, taking it all in and catching her breath. With tears brimming in her eyes, she said to Daisuke, "It was him! He did it! I know!"

Daisuke's face looked puzzled. "Who? Who did what?"

"The stalker that's been calling my phone! He's the one who started the fire!"

A police officer who had been walking past stopped and stepped over to her with a pad of paper and a pen. "Excuse me, Miss, but did I hear that you can tell us who started the fire?"

"Yes! It was..." Riku began.

"It was me, officer," Daisuke piped up. The cop turned to face him with raised eyebrows. "I probably forgot to turn the stove off. I remember I did, but I must not have after all. It was a mistake. I'm very sorry."

Now it was Riku's turn to stare at Daisuke, horrified, as the policeman scribbled notes on his pad. "No way! Daisuke..." She pulled him closer and whispered in his ear. "The stalker I told you about...the one that's been calling me...he called while I was at your house studying that day. It wasn't Risa. He told me not to play with fire, and that I'd only understand what he meant later. He's the one that started the fire! I know it!"

Daisuke whispered back, "There's no way to prove it. The message was unrecorded. This way it's better, and we can avoid all the mess. I'd eventually get pinned anyway. Everyone knows I'm a forgetful klutz..."

Riku motioned to an important-looking man a few feet away. "I don't think it's fair that you're being blamed for something I know you didn't do."

"Riku...the thing is, I'm not so sure I didn't do it. I'm a space cadet, and you know it."

"You're not that spacey."

"There's no way to prove anything."

"Watch me," she told him, walking up to the important man she pointed out earlier.

Dark stretched his legs out in front of him, seated comfortably in the Niwa's living room. He was such a frequent visitor that a section of the couch had been labeled as "Dark's spot." His friendship with the Niwa family was very old, and he was always welcome. This time, he and Daisuke were discussing the events that had occurred.

"Riku's been acting funny lately. She keeps going on about this stalker that keeps calling her. She even blamed him for the fire in the school kitchen. I think it's just someone pulling a prank on her." Daisuke came into the living room with two sodas and handed one to Dark after sitting down.

Dark cracked the soda open and took a long sip before speaking. "I'm not sure if it's a prank or not. Either way, she seems really shaken up by it. If it is a prank, it should die off soon enough without any lasting damage. If not, we'll know soon enough."

Ironically, the phone rang on the end table at Dark's elbow. He grabbed it and, after seeing the caller ID, answered, "Hey, it's Dark and I'm free tonight..."

Daisuke grabbed the phone from him and sat back down. "Hello? This is Niwa Daisuke."

"Miss Harada, this is quite an interesting story you've brought us, but after looking at your phone records, I've found that these are the only calls you've received from anyone other than family or friends." The investigator handed her a sheet of paper with a list of names.

She stared at the sheet, confused. "I don't understand. They didn't all come from one number?"

"Apparently not. We ran all the names through our criminal databank and nothing came up for any of them, except two. One of these callers had his license revoked for a third infraction of DWI and the other had a parking ticket that they have not paid yet. For all we know, they could have dialed your number instead of the one they were trying to reach. I'm sorry, but the probability that you're being stalked on the phone is not likely. And in the off-chance that it is a stalker, you haven't been harmed, so it's not our problem."

"But what about the fire? I fainted! I could have been killed!" Riku stood up, feeling a mixture of fright and anger.

The investigator rubbed his temples. "We've already been over this, ma'am. There is no tangible evidence that links this stalker to the instigation of the kitchen fire at your school. It's one hundred times more likely that your boyfriend forgot to turn off the stove..."

Riku interrupted him. "He's not really my boyfriend."

He blinked at her, and then continued, rolling his eyes. "As I was saying, it's one hundred times more likely that your _friend_ forgot to turn off the stove than it is that some stalker came by and lit a building on fire. It's not in the character of a stalker to do that." Before Riku could raise more objections, he glanced at his watch and continued. "I'm sorry, but that's all I have time for. I have a meeting to go to downtown and I have to be there in ten minutes."

Riku flopped onto her bed, disappointed that no one was listening to her. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Daisuke's number. It rang twice, and then someone picked it up.

"Hey, it's Dark and I'm free tonight..."

Riku sighed and almost hung up, but Daisuke had snatched the phone from his lecherous friend and was apologizing while Dark cackled in the background. She brought the phone to her ear. "Hi Daisuke, it's Riku. I need to talk to someone. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, it's fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"Well...are you alright? From the fire, I mean." She twirled a strand of hair around her finger absent-mindedly.

"I'm fine. What about you? You didn't get burned or anything, right?"

Riku flipped onto her back. "No, just a little warm."

"So what did you really call for? I can tell something's bothering you."

"Umm..." She stalled, trying to find a way to voice her mood while not sounding stupid.

"I'm bringing the phone up to my room now so you don't have to worry about being heard by anyone else."

"Oh, thanks." She paused. "I've had a long day. The police came to my house to interview me, and they said there's no clear evidence that I have a stalker, that I'm being paranoid, and that it's sooooo much likelier that you started that fire out of 'negligence' than some stalker did it to get at me. I'm so tired of people thinking I'm lying! I'm tired of being ignored! I just wish someone would believe me!" Riku sighed in frustration, and then calmed herself down and changed the topic, if only slightly. "Enough about me though. How much trouble did you get into for the fire?"

"Oh, uh...I can't cook anymore. That's for sure. Luckily I don't have to pay for anything, and because it was an accident they're not pressing charges. Nothing too bad."

"That's good...Um, Daisuke? Have I been paranoid about all this?"

"Well...you have been...sorta...weird about this whole stalker thing..."

Riku frowned. "What do you mean weird?" Something hit her window and she whipped her head around to look at it before standing up and walking to it.

Daisuke paused, and then said softly, "A lot of people think you're making it up to get attention, or that it's some mental condition or something."

She parted the window shade and peeked through. What she saw made her heart stop and her breath hitch.

Daisuke must have heard it over the phone, because he immediately asked, "What! What is it?"

There, standing in the yard below her window, was a figure robed in white with a handful of pebbles, grinning madly in the stark moonlight.

"I think it's him," she breathed. "He's at my house."

* * *

I'd like to thank all my reviewers for their reviews! I love all of you! -passes around a plate of brownies- 

WhiteTiger1992 - Yay! A pocket-sized pony! I can bring him in my purse with me to school and let him run around on my desk! Thank you sooooo much! And thanks for reviewing!  
cagalliyulatha - I updated! And we found Wiz, though he's a little worse for wear. Poor lil' guy... Keep reading!  
27blackbleedingroses - Tingly feelings are good. Mwahaha... Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
crimsonseeker20 - You love it twice? Whee! -dances- Thanks for all the lovely compliments, and I'm glad that you decided to read this and enjoyed it. So far it hasn't been too scary, but you might want to have cuddly things and lights when you read Chapter 6.  
ginsensu - It gets even scarier! So keep reading! Hahahaha!  
genesis jett - You're hooked! Success! Thanks for the reviews and the compliments!  
CrYsTaLxAnGeL - I love Riku. She's such a fun character to write, especially when she's mad. Or talking to Dark, which normally includes her getting mad. I love the story idea too. I've really been getting into it in the last week or so. I've been itching for a keyboard in the middle of school so I could keep writing, especially when I'm stuck in classes with chatty girls when we're doing nothing. I'm so ready for summer.  
Froven - I'll go rent it. And I didn't kill Wiz. I never kill my characters without reason. Thanks for the review!  
imuzuok - I'm awesome? -blushes- Thanks...I'm so loved...I do plan to keep this up. I have lots of ideas bouncing around, so you're in for some twisty turny roads. Don't forget your seat belt.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. I love guys! -hugs everyone-

Please review!


	6. Intruder

Greetings. I only used two computers to put this up this time. My computer is broken. The internet does not work. Blugh. Lots of stuff to work through, plus the fact that we're poor and can't afford a new one at the moment, and my parents won't give me this laptop that no one's using. Sorry for ranting. But I must thank Froven for encouraging me to watch When a Stranger Calls. I finally got around to renting it, and it turns out my mom had wanted to see it when it came out, but she didn't have the chance. So we watched it, and I was re-inspired to post this. I've been in a semi-blockish rut. I know what I want to do with this, it's just...I'm busy and I'm lazy. They're polar opposites, but it's true. I've even been too lazy to come up with a oneshot for Scatterplot's Damage Control challenge. Well, here's this chapter. It's a helluva lot longer than the last chapter, and I had even thought that one was long. I needed to end the chapter in a certain way, but I also needed the rest of the story in there somewhere. I hope you don't mind. Go ahead and read!

Warnings: Language, blood, all-around spookiness, mild peril. This is the chapter that you should read with the lights on and something to cuddle. Go do it. Now.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to DNAngel. I pretend to own the rights to Dark. I borrow the characters for my own entertainment, write about them, and share it with the world. I do not intend to make money with this (yet). Please do not grouch.

**Heartbeat**

**Chapter Six: Intruder**

"Now you're being paranoid, Riku. How would the stalker even know where you live?" Daisuke's voice buzzed in the back of her head as she watched the man grin up at her and then step slowly and deliberately to the back door of her house. After he disappeared from view under the roof below the window, Riku arrived at a state of panic.

"I don't know...I mean, I never told him...my parents have made sure we're unlisted in the phone books...I don't even know how he knows my name either...when I left my cell phone in the theatre at the audition, he brought it back to my house and left it on my desk, but other than that I don't know where he found my address..." Riku spoke hurriedly, her panic making everything race.

"Riku! Calm down! I'm going to hang up now so you can call the police, okay?"

"No! Don't hang up! Please, don't hang up!" Riku cried into the receiver. She froze completely as she heard the back door creak open slowly and then shut, and then heard heavy footsteps on the linoleum floor of the kitchen. "Oh my GOD. Daisuke, he's in the house."

Riku bolted from her room to the banister of the stairs and watched him slowly make his way into the foyer below.

As luck would have it, Risa came out of her bedroom just then, yelling, "Riku, is that you? I heard the door open, and I was wondering if you knew when Mr. Sabochi would be back from..." she tailed off as she saw Riku making frantic signs to be quiet, but the damage was done. The man was looking up with an intense golden stare, holding Riku's gaze. Even with all her fear mounting and Daisuke calling her name frantically on the other end of the phone, a cold sweat appeared on every inch of her skin, and she was frozen in place by fear and the stalker's cat-like eyes. The phone slipped from her hands.

"Riku, who is this? Riku?" Risa questioned worriedly, looking from the stranger to Riku and back again. Risa put her hands on her hips and gave Riku her traditional 'I feel out of the loop and I want to know why' face. "What's going on? Why'd you let him in? You know Mom doesn't want us to have guys over while they're not here."

"Twins?" The stranger cocked an eyebrow as he began to climb the stairs slowly. "You never told me you were a twin. And you never told me your parents weren't home either."

Chills ran down Riku's body and she tensed, ready to run and quickly trying to come up with a plan that would end with Riku and Risa safe and the stalker behind bars. Unfortunately, she was so petrified that nothing came to mind. "You never asked!" she shouted, bolting from her place at the top of the stairs to where Risa was standing at the other end of the hall.

The tall blonde was seconds behind her, running up the stairs and around the pillar at the top with incredible speed. Riku ran into Risa's room, shut the door with a slam and bolted it, thanking the builder for the heavy, expensive wooden doors. She explained the situation as quickly as she could to Risa. "I know you may not believe me, but that guy is a stalker that's after me. What we need to do now is call the cops and get out of the house. I have no idea what he wants, but I'm pretty sure it's _not_ harmless. Go down the laundry chute, get out of the house, and find someone who can help. Give me your phone and I'll call the police."

Risa handed over her pink Hello Kitty cell phone and climbed into the laundry chute, disappearing seconds later. Riku dashed onto the balcony, hiding as well as she could behind a large potted plant and dialed 9-1-1. She half-expected the stalker to burst through the door at any moment, but he didn't.

"Azumano Police. What is your emergency?"

"Hello! I am Riku Harada and I live at 10201 Karabi Parkway. There's a man in my house and I don't know what he's going to do to us!" Riku was frantic.

"Please calm down, ma'am. Who else is with you?"

"My twin sister. No one else is home."

"Do you know this man or have you seen him before?"

"No, but he's been stalking me for the past week."

"An emergency vehicle is on its way. Please be patient."

"Patient?! How do you expect me to sit here and wait for him to find me while..." She tailed off as she heard Risa scream downstairs, followed by a heavy thud.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but that's the best you can do. They should get there in five minutes."

"Five minutes," Riku breathed, hanging up. She got to her feet and ran from Risa's room to the foyer, where the man was coming up the stairs slowly, with his back to her. She suppressed a gasp, and scooted back into the room, bolting the door once more. She hid as well as she could to the side behind the doors on the balcony, out of sight from her sister's bedroom.

She listened to the heavy steps of the intruder come closer and the sounds of the door being forced open.

When he had opened the door, he strolled into the room with deliberate steps, casting his gaze around the room before moving on to the balcony. He stopped a few feet from her and chuckled madly. "I know you are there, Riku Harada. I've known where you were for a while now, and I'm curious to know if you are every bit as delicious as your sister was."

Riku's head whipped around and she stared at the blonde robed in white. Blood glistened on his chin, and as he grinned, the moonlight was reflected off of his pointed incisors that rested on his bottom lip. _'A vampire_..._'_ She shivered as cold rippled through her. _'Oh please, somebody help...'_

He stepped closer, and somehow she was compelled to stand up as well, either from her own desire to die on her feet or from his own force of will she did not know or care. She saw nothing but the hunger for her in his golden eyes. She bolted, but he anticipated the move and grabbed her upper arms in a vice-like grip with his icy hands and bared his teeth. Willing her to be still, he leaned down and inhaled her scent, exhaling a breath of cold air across her neck that made her shiver violently. He was just ready to sink his teeth into her pulsing veins when someone called her name.

"Riku!"

Both glanced up at the source of the voice, and for the first time ever, Riku was glad to see that it was Dark. Her assailant, however, was quite the opposite. He growled, scowling.

"Krad! Let her go!"

"How lovely of you to drop in, Dark Mousy. I was just about to have a late-night snack. Blood always tastes best when its owner is terrified, and her sister was only an appetizer."

Dark tensed as Riku's confused and frightened eyes fell on him, pleading for help. "You bastard. I told you to let her go!"

The sound of sirens came from the road and from the corner of her eyes, Riku could faintly see flashing blue and red lights.

A pair of white wings broke their way from Krad's back. He stared into Riku's eyes, grinning. "I will come to you again, Riku. And there will be no one to keep you from me that time. You can be sure of that." With that, he pushed off from the ground, taking to flight. Dark would have gone after him, but Riku sank to her knees and wept.

He was at her shoulder, speaking words to her softly that she did not remember. He helped her to stand and let her cry on him until a police officer came upstairs and saw them on the balcony.

"It's the Phantom Thief Dark!"

Dark growled, kissed her on the forehead, and took off to avoid capture. Riku just stood there as five more officers headed upstairs to the balcony, only to watch the famous thief flying away.

Riku was taken to the hospital in a police cruiser where she waited for news of her sister's condition. Mr. Sabochi arrived a few minutes before a nurse in maroon scrubs called her name and brought them both to a room to explain how Risa was doing.

"Right now her condition is stable. She is no longer in shock, though her blood pressure is abnormally low and she hit the back of her head pretty hard, so we'll need her to stay overnight for observation."

"Wait, I don't understand. The stalker is a vampire, and he bit her," Riku explained.

The nurse looked quizzically at Riku. "I'm not sure I know what you mean. Your sister's medical record shows that she donated blood earlier today, which explains her anemia. There was no mention of a vampire in the police report, and I'm not sure there's credible evidence for your statement..."

Riku sighed, annoyed that once again, her credibility was back at zero. "May I see her?"

The nurse flicked her wrist and glanced at her watch. "Visiting hours were over at 8, but I can let you see her for a few minutes."

Mr. Sabochi and Riku followed the nurse down the hall to Risa's room quietly. Riku was unnerved by the cleanliness and stark whiteness of everything. Even Risa's beautiful skin was white too, instead of its normal rosy cream color.

The nurse stood in the doorway as Riku stepped to the side of the bed and took her sister's hand in hers, noting the coldness of her skin and the many needles in Risa's arms. Smiling ruefully at the thought, the idea of how much Risa resembled a pincushion crossed her mind, but then the crushing reality of Risa's situation wiped the smile away. A tear slid from Riku's eye, and she wiped it away quickly. "I'm sorry, Risa. This is all my fault..."

The nurse took Riku's other hand and patted it. "She needs her rest, dear. You can see her again tomorrow."

Riku nodded, and allowed herself to be led back to the parking lot by her butler. Once they were in the car, Mr. Sabochi asked her from the front seat, "So, what's all this I hear about a vampire?"

Riku sighed, too upset by the day's happenings to be made fun of or to try and explain a story that would sound ludicrous to anyone, including herself. "I was just making it up," she said. Thankfully, her driver understood that she didn't want to talk about it and didn't push the subject. When they got home, Riku went straight to her room, picking up her phone from where she had dropped it on the way.

In the confines of her room at last, she checked the closet for any form of life, locked the windows and drew the curtains, and locked the doors to her balcony. Once she was convinced the room was secure, she undressed and took a shower. When she got out, she put on her favorite pajamas (the blue silk ones with soccer balls that Risa had bought for her) and turned on her Norah Jones CD. On a whim, she decided to check her phone messages and realized that Daisuke had left one for her.

"Hey Riku, it's Daisuke. I'm just calling to let you know that I'm hoping you and Risa are alright. I'm worried about you. Please call back when you get this, no matter what time it is. And Riku...stay safe..."

Riku dialed Daisuke's cell phone number and listened to it ring twice before he picked up. "Riku? Are you and Risa alright?"

Riku didn't say anything for a moment as she debated between telling him the truth or an edited version. "Yeah. The police came before he did anything, but he got away."

"Really?" Daisuke asked.

"Mmhm. I'm fine. Risa hit her head and is in the hospital."

"She hit her head that hard? Will she be okay?"

"The doctors said she'd need to stay overnight so they can make sure it's nothing serious, but she's scheduled for release tomorrow afternoon."

"That's good. I hope she's better by then. I'll see you at school tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Riku answered. "See you tomorrow..."

"Okay! Bye!" Daisuke hung up, leaving Riku alone once more as tears slid down her face.

"I just wish everything could be like that," she whispered to her room.

She heard knocking coming from the French doors to her balcony and turned to them. Dark was there, rapping his knuckles gently on the glass. She unlocked them and walked out onto the balcony to meet him. "What are you doing here, pervert?" But the barb had lost its normal sting.

"Riku, are you alright?"

"Why do you care?"

"It doesn't matter. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Risa's the one _you _should be worried about."

"I asked if _you _were alright, and I don't mean just physically."

"Okay, truthfully, I feel terrible. I've lied to my best friend, I couldn't help my sister, and no one will believe me when I tell them a vampire is stalking me. How else would I feel?!" She was almost yelling.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her, but she scooted away. "No, I don't need your sympathy!" Her face was covered with tears as she sobbed. "I don't know what to do anymore! I feel so helpless! I can't get away, and everyone is getting hurt and it's my fault because I can't get rid of this stalker!"

She half-collapsed, but Dark caught her in his arms. She beat on his chest with her fists, burying her face in his black tank top, but all he did was wait until she was finished, rubbing her back with his hands. Eventually, her sobs subsided and her tears stopped. She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and looked up into his face, feeling a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and insecurity. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this. I just..."

Dark put a finger under her chin as she looked away, drawing her face back up to his. "It's okay, Riku. We all have our moments when we just need someone to listen."

She smiled at him, and hugged him. They stood like that for a moment before Riku let go and he stepped back.

Riku wiped her eyes and said, "You're not as bad as I thought you were, Dark. I'll give you that. I've needed someone to listen for a while."

"What's this? A compliment from Riku Harada?"

She glared at him. "Don't think it'll happen again."

"Oh, no. I will cherish this moment for the rest of my existence." Dark held his hands over his heart.

"Pfft. Whatever." She turned away and waved a hand dismissively.

"Riku," he called, prompting her to turn and face him once again. "Keep your head up. You'll make it through." He spread his wings and took to the sky, winking at her.

She turned back to her room, and before going inside, whispered to the feathers he left behind, "Thank you...Dark."

From in her room, her phone rang again, and she ran to get it, figuring it was Daisuke. "Hello?" she answered.

But she heard nothing but heavy breathing from the other end.

* * *

Thanks to all my lovely reviewers! I love you guys! You're the people that make me feel like posting fanfiction is still worth something, considering all the trash there is out there now. -passes a plate stacked high with all manner of baked goods-

crimsonseeker20 - Huh? -tries to look innocent- I'm not telling... You'll have to read to find out what happens next. You have a blue bear too? My brother did. It had a little bell inside too. I contemplated stealing it several times when I was a kid. -waves at her bear- Hello widdle bear! Come back next chapter! And help yourself to some cyber treats! -passes her the platter-  
WhiteTiger1992 - Yeah, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Though I had seriously contemplated making the stalker an OC, but that's just a cop-out. It's so much more fun for it to be someone you know. I like fire too. I have too many candles. Well, not candles, but stubs of them that are too small to light. I don't have the heart to throw them away because the wax smells pretty. Anyway, stay tuned for next chapter!  
ginsensu - Wait! Don't hide! It's not too scary...I hope...-peeks under bed- Come to the dark side. We have cookies. -shows plate- I hope it wasn't too scary. No one dies. Well, not really. But that's for later. Shh!  
CrYsTaLxAnGeL - Riku _is_ a fun character to write! I'm so happy you're excited! But school didn't really "end" for me either. I'm taking two classes at the community college here over the summer so I can have an off period at high school. But why are you going to school? Is it your real school or college classes? Anyway, keep writing, keep reviewing, keep reading. Though not necessarily in that order. Having fun comes first.  
Froven - I would like to thank you a whole lot for that movie suggestion. It was the perfect inspiration that I needed, and a good movie to watch with my family. We had a great time. As for Daisuke being a little OOC, I read the chapter over again and realized that he would be too mature for a 14-year old. Sorry, I forgot to mention that they're all a little older in this, so I was guessing that he'd have a few more seasoned years on him and be able to be that responsible (but still sweet and cuddly). I hope that fixes things. As for Dark&Riku stuff, I hope you enjoyed the massive amounts of Dark&Riku stuff in here.  
27blackbleedinroses - Here's the next chapter! I hope you'll read the next one when I post it! -hands over the baked goods plate- Take some!  
cagalliyulathha - You don't like group hugs? I bet Krad does! -hugs him as he eyes me dangerously- Yes, Krad is the stalker. He makes a good one too. And I updated (obviously...sorry...I tend to point out obvious things)! Keep reading! It's not over yet!  
Illusion the Black Mage - A new reviewer! Yaaaay! I know, what a shock. You guys are too smart. I wanted it to be a teensy bit of a secret still. I guess white-robed is too blatant of a hint. Shucks.  
imuzuok - Twists are great. Especially twisty roads with motorcycles. They're fun. Anyway, Riku's crazy. She just doesn't know it yet. Only kidding. I'm the one that's crazy. Thanks for all the compliments. You and everyone else make me feel so loved.  
Shiann Reece - Another new reviewer! Yay! DNAngel is awesome! Glad to see a new fan of both the anime and the pairing. No matter how many people say otherwise, there are twice as many people that will say that Dark and Riku go together like chocolate and milk. The stalker has been deemed freaky too. Great. Read more!

Well guys, I've answered ten reviews now. -passes out more sweets- Thank you all sooooo much! I think next chapter I'm going to answer reviews with the review-reply feature here, because I'd love to write more to you guys, but it's taking up space. -grin- If you're reviewing anonymously, please leave your email so I can say thanks!


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